The Amari brother and sister duo
by daughterofacountry
Summary: Machiko Amari and her brother Kiyoshi have just started at Ouran Academy, after their family inherited 9 and 1/2 yen from a distant relative. Machiko had no friends in their old school and talked to no one but Kiyoshi, so, worried the same will happen again, he takes her to the Ouran Host Club to find someone to talk to, but what he doesn't know is what awaits them in that world.
1. I can't Not yet anyway

"Machi, come on! We're going to be late and it's our first day!" Kiyoshi Amari shouted up the stairs to his younger sister, Machiko. After about ten seconds, she appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing the Ouran Academy uniform for the first time, and honestly, she was way out of her comfort zone in it. Not only were the sleeves poofy at the shoulders, it was yellow, and only reached just past her knees. The moment she saw her brother, she wished she could wear the boys uniform, like she had done at their last school. It wasn't really flattering, but it at least meant that she got to wear trousers so no one could see her legs. She was a very self-conscious girl, in every sense of the word. She always wore baggy t-shirts and long trousers so that no one could see he body shape, barely spoke to anyone unless she had to, (even then she would reply to then with the shortest answers available), and, despite being incredibly smart, never participated in class discussions or put her hand up. She also never had any friends, which was probably because, as well as not speaking during lessons, she wasn't on any social media sites and didn't ever go to any clubs, in or out of school. The only person she ever spoke to was her brother. She didn't even speak to her parents that much, but obviously she didn't stay silent around them. Kiyoshi was the only person that could get her to open up and be herself, as opposed to locking herself in silence, with a barrier around her that did such a great job of keeping everyone away that no one would even notice her. This worried Kiyoshi, as he was a second year and Machiko was a first year. That meant that he could only keep an eye on her when they weren't in lessons. During lessons he was constantly worrying about her. So now that they were starting a new school, his first mission was to find her a friend that was in her year, or, if not a friend, at least someone that she could talk to with more than three words per sentence. But that in itself would be hard. He was thinking about how he was going to do it on their way to school, (in the limo their parents had gotten specifically to ferry them to and from school so they wouldn't be different to the other kids), and was so far off in his own world that he didn't even notice Machiko tugging on his sleeve to tell him that they were there.  
"Yoshi. Yoshi, we're here. We're at the school." Machiko said quietly, her voice filled with fear. Kiyoshi snapped out of his trance, glancing out of the window and confirming the fact that they'd arrived.  
"Oh, so we are." He opened the door and climbed out of the limo.  
"Well, let's go." He smiled reassuringly at his younger sister, before taking her hand and pulling her gently from the limo. Machiko refused to let go of his hand as they walked up to the huge front doors, and he gave her hand a slight squeeze before walking into the building. Machiko clung to her older brother for as long as she possibly could, but they were in different rooms, which meant that after they had collected their time tables, they had to part ways and head to different classrooms. Machiko walked slowly up to the teacher's desk and, her hand trembling, handed over the paper she was supposed to get signed to show she'd attended the class and was on time. She would have to do this all week, but after that it would no longer be a requirement. The teacher signed it, and then insisted on introducing her to the class.  
"There's really no need to do that." She tried to argue so she could slink to a desk at the back, unnoticed (hopefully) by the entire class. However, she said it so quietly that the teacher had absolutely no chance of hearing her, so went ahead and did it anyway.  
"Class, this is Miss Machiko Amari, she's joining us today from a commoners school." Machiko blushed deeply, partially because she was stood in front of the whole class, and partially because of their reaction when the teacher said 'commoners school'. The entire room had erupted in gasps and whispered. How could it be such a big deal? Just from what she'd witnessed in her first three minutes of school her, she knew she would never understand rich people, even if she was one now. Once the class had quietened down, she was allowed to find a seat. The only one available was at the back, which she was thankful for, as it meant people wouldn't be able to stare at her all lesson. However, it was next to a set of twins with ginger hair and brown eyes, who kept craning forward to get a good look at her. In a way, she was glad that Kiyoshi had rushed her while she was doing her hair, as it meant that the two long plaits that she kept her silky, black hair in were coming loose and stray bits of hair were falling past her ears, preventing them from getting a proper look at her face. Although that didn't hold them back for long. The one that was closest to her reached over and lifted her hair with his pencil, making her gasp and freeze. She gaze locked on whatever was directly in front of her and she couldn't move at all; she could barely even breathe. After a moment, the twin holding her hair with a pencil leaned back in his chair, and addressed his brother.  
"Hey Kaoru, look. She's actually quite pretty." He said. The other twin, who was named Kaoru, apparently, leaned forward.  
"Hmm, you're right Hikaru, she is." He said to the on with the pencil, who was evidently named Hikaru. At this point, Machiko tried to protest to her hair being pulled back like that, but the only sound that she was able to create was a small squeak. However, as she squeaked, a shiver ran through her entire body, making her head jolt. The hair that was still somehow managing to stay in the plaits was shaken free, and covered her face back up again. She breathed a sigh of relief, moved her chair as far away from the twins as she could, and went back to her work, keeping one hand on her hair to make sure it stayed where it was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Meanwhile~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kiyoshi's teacher introduced him to the class after signing his slip of paper, and he walked over to a spare seat near the center of the room. Next to him was a girl who was swooning over the boy on the other side of her. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and was surrounded by other girls, who were all fangirling around him. Yoshi rolled his eyes as the boy flirted with all of them.  
'Rich people' He thought. He was already pretty he would find it really hard to understand them, but he figured they probably wouldn't understand him either, after all, he would still be acting like a regular commoner for a while, as he'd only been part of a rich family for two weeks now. He opened his book and began to jot down notes as the teacher was explaining the method for their work. Maths had never been his best subject and he knew that if he didn't write the method down then he wouldn't have a clue how to do the work. Two and a half questions in, the girls to his left were really starting to bug him. Not to mention the guy in the middle of them all.  
'How can one guy be so arrogant?' He asked himself as the blonde boy carried on flirting with all of the girls. Then one of them made a comment that had something to do with money, and he realized.  
'Oh yeah, he's rich.' The teacher then silenced the girls, and the boy, and suggested that they all get on with their work now. '  
Yes.' Yoshi mouthed to himself, as the girls whined and turned back to their own desks.  
"We will get to see you at the host club, won't we Tamaki?" One of the girls asked.  
"Of course you will my princess." Answered the guy, who's name was Tamaki, according to that girl.  
'Host club?' Thought Yoshi. 'A host club is where guys entertain girls, isn't it?' He asked himself. 'Yeah, that's right...Maybe, not yet of course, but, maybe I could take Machi there, she might find someone to talk to. Maybe she'll make a friend. No, I can't...not yet, anyway.' His plan now clear in his head, he smiled, going back to his work, and (inevitably) getting stuck on question 4.


	2. It's not your choice

"Where are you taking me big brother?" Machiko asked as her brother walked her up a large staircase and along a corridor. It was the Friday of their first week at Ouran, and Kiyoshi had decided that the time was right.  
"I'm taking you to the host club." He said, tightening his grip on her hand to make sure she didn't stop walking or try to pull back.  
"Why?" Was all Machiko could manage to say. Well, squeak.  
"Because you need to find someone to talk to and this is the only way I can be certain that you do." He answered, keeping his gaze fixed ahead of him and his strides steady.  
"But Yoshi, I don't want to go to the host club." She tried to argue. He didn't show even the smallest hint of caving.  
"It's not your choice. I need to know that you're alright during lessons. I can't be with you so I'm going to find you someone who can so that they can keep you safe. Or at very least get you talking." He explained. Machiko sighed quietly in defeat, knowing that her brother wasn't going to back down. She didn't have any time to adjust to the idea though, as less than a minute after Kiyoshi had finished speaking, they arrived at their destination.  
"There are three first year students...as far as I know anyway. You just stay near the door and I'll go request one of them for you. And don't worry, I'll let them know about your social problems so they won't be too full on, 'kay."  
"'kay." Machiko whispered her (involuntary) consent as Kiyoshi opened the door to music room three. Rose petals flew at them, blocking their vision. Kiyoshi wafted them away while Machiko cowered and squeaked.  
"Welcome." Several voices said at once. Both Amari youngsters snapped their heads round to where the voices had come from. The sight that greeted them was one that they would remember forever, though at the time they didn't know this. The sight that would stay with them forever was this: The blonde from Yoshi's class sitting on a cushioned chair surrounded by six other boys. One other from Yoshi's class, with dark hair and glasses, that Yoshi had come to learn was Kyoya Ootori, the twins and a brunette from Machiko's class, the twins spoke of the brunette often, so she'd found that his name was Haruhi, and two that neither of them recognized, one that was very short and child-like, and one that was tall and stony-faced.  
"Uhhhhh...Hi..." Yoshi said hesitantly.  
"Who are these two?" The blonde, otherwise known as Tamaki, asked.  
"Kiyoshi and Machiko Amari. They started at Ouran on Monday after their family came upon some money. Don't you recall Mr Amari's arrival? He is in our class, after all." Kyoya said, glancing down at his notebook.  
"Ah yes. Who's class she in?"  
"Ours." The twins said. "But she doesn't talk much and she's not at all social, so we don't really know anything about her. Other than the fact that she and her family used to be commoners."  
"Commoners?" Cried Tamaki, before springing out of his chair and bounding over to them. He put one arm over each of their shoulders, so he was in between them. "Oh my dears, how fantastic that you went from being simple commoners to being here! You're family must be an inspiration to commoners everywhere!" Kiyoshi managed to free himself from Tamaki's grasp, and pulled the whimpering Machiko after him. She fell into his arms, shaking, and buried her head in his shoulder as Tamaki approached once more.  
"Don't!" Yoshi yelled. "Don't come any closer! Can't you see she's scared!?" Tamaki stopped dead in his tracks, but the twins appeared, one on either side on the siblings, and leaned round to try to get a look at Machiko.  
"So she is." One said.  
"She's shaking." Commented the other.  
"Ha, I guess your princely charm-" Started the first.  
"-didn't work this time." The sentence switched to the second.  
"Did it boss?" They both said.  
"To be fair, she does have social anxiety issues, it wasn't necessarily his princely charm that did it, it was simply his presence and intensity." Stated Kyoya, also appearing.  
"Would Usa-chan help?" Asked the child-like one, who was on the shoulders of the stony-faced one and holding a pink stuffed rabbit toy.  
"Could you back off a bit! There's no need to crowd her!" Yoshi snapped at them, never loosening his arms around Machiko, who was still hiding her face in his shoulder. Everyone took a step back. Yoshi pulled away from Machiko, putting one hand on her shoulder and the other on the side of her head.  
"It's okay, you're safe, you're with me." He cooed, smiling reassuringly. Internally, he was regretting bringing her here at all. He had no idea that they would be this full on. To be honest, he hadn't known what it was going to be like, but he could say for sure that he had not been expecting that. And she looked so scared. No, she WAS so scared. Sure, there had been worse times, but not many. He kept his eyes locked with hers until she slowly nodded her head, letting him know she was fine.  
"Now. Is there anyone here at all that won't terrify my little sister?" The boys all looked at one another, and, seeming almost as if they'd made a decision telepathically, all turned to the only one that was still stood in his original position. Haruhi Fujioka.


	3. Yoshi! Don't leave me here!

Haruhi smiled at them both, trying not to be awkward. Yoshi looked at his sister questioningly, and she looked back at him, clearly doubtful. She only knew of that boy because the twins spoke of him, and considering the way they'd treated her on her first day she wasn't sure she wanted to trust their friends. But she also knew better than to judge a person that you've never met, which was why she was unsure. To be completely honest, she didn't want to be there at all, but it would be rude to leave now, so she would have to talk to SOMEONE. She looked back at Haruhi. Sure, he looked nice, but he also seemed the type that would encourage her to talk. She couldn't recall what 'type' the girls at the school said he was, but she knew that all the boys had one. One was the 'silent type', that she knew for certain, she just didn't know who. One by one, she matched the boys to their 'types'.  
'Tamaki is the prince' She thought. 'Hikaru and Kaoru are the little devils, Kyoya, I'm not sure about, but I've heard the twins call him 'the Shadow King' so I'll steer clear of him, at least for now anyway...and...I don't know these two...let's see what's left. Silent type and boy lolita. Well, the little blonde one seems to fit boy lolita pretty well, so that leaves the tall one as silent. Those two do come seem as a set most the time, judging from what I've heard, but I'm surprisingly comfortable around kids most the time, and the tall one wouldn't force me to talk, so, I'd be fine with either and I think I could cope with both if I had to.' It was around the same time as she finished this thought process that Yoshi realized who she was looking at and turned to the two of them.  
"One of them?" He asked quietly, turning back to her. She closed her eyes for around two seconds then opened again, in a strange way of nodding, without actually moving her head.  
"Why? They're the only two that neither of us know." He questioned. Reluctant to speak in front of the whole group, she shrugged slowly, causing Yoshi to sigh heavily.  
"Why do I even bother?" He muttered. "You know Machi, you must be the weirdest person I know. You've got social anxiety problems, yet you pick them. The two we don't know, and that aren't in either of our years." Machiko shrugged again. She knew Yoshi was right, but she was only trying to make life easier. She didn't think that she'd be as comfortable with anyone else. Not that she would be with either of them, but she figured that she had a slightly better chance. It was clear to everyone that Yoshi was getting irritated. He'd brought his sister there to try and get her to make a friend, and as far as he was concerned she was just being difficult. Not having heard much about the different types, he had no idea why she'd picked them, and, quite frankly, thought she might be trying to wind him up on purpose so that he'd say they could leave. Well, no way was he going to fall for that.  
"You know what, I'm just gonna leave. You stay here so you can talk to someone, but I think if I stay I might influence your decision and I don't want to do that. I'll come back for you in a little while, kay?" He smiled and, without waiting for her consent, headed for the door, walking quickly.  
"Yoshi! Wait! Don't-" Machiko called, running a few paces towards the door, but before she could finish, it shut in her face. "-leave me here." She sighed sadly, this wasn't the first time he'd done something like that to her, and somehow, she didn't think it would be the last. She didn't get long to stare after him though, as the two little devils appeared next to her, wrapping their arms around her shoulders.  
"So." They whispered in her ears. "Who are you going to pick?"


	4. A mysterious black folder

Her face flooding scarlet, Machiko pushed the twins away, keeping them an arms length away, one either side of her, with her palms flat on their chests. After a minute, she retracted her arms. She didn't know who she was going to chose, and it didn't exactly help that she couldn't seem to look at them without Yoshi there.  
"Let me think." She unintentionally said out loud, before running through her options in her head. 'The tall one doesn't talk much, so he would be ideal, except for the fact that that childish one hangs round with him a lot. I know I'm okay with kids, but I think he's actually a third year, so that makes him older than me, and even if he wasn't acting it, I'd still know. I'm definitely NOT picking the twins, it would just encourage them. Tamaki's the 'prince', apparently, so he'd want to talk, probably a lot. I've met Haruhi before, neither of us spoke and the silence was really quite awkward. I don't really fancy going through that again. That leaves Kyoya, and although I've heard the twins call him 'the Shadow King',I've also heard them say that handles all the accounting and stuff, so if he was doing that I wouldn't have to talk to him. Maybe I could do homework or something, that way it wouldn't be awkward because he was doing stuff and I was just sat there. Yes, by that logic he was certainly the lesser of the...seven.. evils. Not exactly what that phrase should be, but never mind.' Finalizing her decision in her mind, she turned slowly, looking at her feet.  
"Have you made your decision, princess?" Tamaki asked.  
"I...I think...I think that I'd like Kyoya, if that's not too much trouble." She said quietly. Tamaki looked over at Kyoya, gesturing for him to go over to her.  
"Of course it's not too much trouble, my lady." He took her hand, kissing the back of it softly. Machiko let out a small gasp, her blush deepening. "If you would." He gestured for her to go past him, towards one of the tables.

Most of the girls felt the need to arrange their skirts around them when they sat, and it didn't escape Kyoya's notice that she just sat, not even bothering about it. But she didn't NEED to bother. It was already perfect. And, although it was clear she wasn't really trying, she was just scared, her posture and positioning of her feet were perfect as well. It was as if she was a princess, they seemed to be the only ones capable of that. But no, she'd only been rich for, well, less than a month, that was what made her so, interesting. He made her some tea, and set it down in front of her before taking a seat opposite, his folder beside him.  
"Thank you." She mumbled, despite the fact that she'd never been at all fond of tea. She noticed him open the folder and glance inside, and couldn't help the curiosity that filled her. "What's in there?" She asked, not lifting her head.  
"Just notes, records. Customer background checks, that sort of thing."  
"Customer background checks?" Now she lifted her head, he couldn't possibly have one for her. Could he?  
"Yes. I must say, Miss Amari, yours is rather interesting." Apparently he could.  
"When did you get mine?"  
"You're new here, correct?"  
"Well, yes, but that doesn't explain how you-"  
"And you have social anxiety issues, meaning you only talk to your brother?"  
"Again, yes, but when did you-"  
"Then how, may I ask, have you been talking to me as if there was no such issue?" That last remark shocked Machiko into silence. How had she been talking to him like that? No hesitation, she'd been audible, and, almost, arguing.  
"Perhaps the issues aren't as bad as your file makes them out to be. Or perhaps, it's simply because your brother isn't here. Perhaps you felt neglected by him, and began to fake the social anxiety so as to get him to protect you. Your file shows that you were more or less normal in middle school. At the start of middle school you were perfectly fine, it was only by the end that things started to go downhill. And once you started high school, well, that meant you were in the same school as him again, you could play him when you weren't in lessons. Is that right?" Suddenly Machiko became...different. She didn't get defensive, or angry, she didn't go back to not talking. She actually got kind of cocky, wanting to have him prove himself wrong.  
"Haha...if you got that from your background check, you've been checking the wrong part. I'm sure if you dug just a little deeper, you'd discover the reason behind the social anxiety. After all, it's on my old school records, and I'd have thought that would have been more or less what you'd have started with." She said, rather confidently.  
"Actually, it was the second thing I looked at. The first was your family tree, which in itself was rather entertaining. And I did discover the reason, forgive me for being a little curious, I only wanted to see your reaction to that accusation, and I must say, for a girl who still behaves like a commoner, you handled it very well."  
"What's wrong with behaving like a commoner?! You shouldn't really judge, seeing as you've an honer student as a host. Surely he would still 'act as a commoner'." Now she was getting defensive.  
"I never said it was bad. I just think it's intriguing that a girl who rarely attended any formal events and isn't used to this environment can handle a situation like that as if she'd been trained to her whole life."  
"Even commoners can have dignity you know."  
"That's what you class as dignity? Hmm, you're better educated than I'd thought."  
"Are you saying that you thought I was stupid? Because I can assure you, I'm not."  
"Of course that wasn't what I was saying, I've seen your previous school reports, your grades are really very impressive. Good enough to get you into class A, despite your shaky lineage." At this she gave a slight smile, she had been proud of that, so having someone else say it was impressive made her happy.  
"You have the accounting in there too, don't you?" She said, changing the subject slightly, and nodding at the folder.  
"Yes. But why should something as trivial as that be of interest to you?"  
"It's maths." She shrugged. "Maths interests me." Kyoya gave a very small smile, this girl was definitely going to prove entertaining, if she failed to be useful, which he doubted she would.  
"Ah, so that's why you picked me. I'm the one with the folder."  
"Correct. I'm very curious, and if someone has a mysterious black folder, well, I'm afraid that I simply can't help myself."


End file.
